NEW ZEALAND: Economists are unanimous in predicting that the Reserve
Bank of New Zealand will leave its official cash rate (OCR) unchanged at
2.5% after its monetary policy meeting on Thursday (announcement at 9am
NZT, 20:00 GMT Wednesday). The market focus is on the accompanying
economic forecasts and whether RBNZ Governor Alan Bollard announces any
change to the central bank’s present stance that there will be no
changes to the OCR until around the middle of the year. Most economists
expect the RBNZ to stick to its current rate outlook — even the few who
believe the bank should hike rates earlier.